Beneath You
by andtheny
Summary: When he graduated from middle school Izuku applied for the hero course at UA despite being quirkless. He didn't get in. It was his first time not being in the same school as Kacchan. But now it's summer and they're still neighbors, so they're bound to run into each other. And for some reason Kacchan's being really... uh, friendly.
1. First Kiss

He knew Kacchan would be mad at him for coming. They hadn't exactly parted on good terms last year. But they were neighbors and their moms were friends, so Izuku knew this sort of thing was inevitable.

His mom had failed to explain what this party was for. It wasn't anyone's birthday or anything. But maybe Mrs. Bakugo just wanted to have a few people over for the sake of it. Maybe it was a way of celebrating summer vacation.

So Izuku found himself standing in the Bakugos' backyard by the snack table. He was the only kid here, besides Kacchan, and the adults paid him no mind as they walked around with their paper plates and glasses of wine. He'd lost sight of his mother, but knew it was safe to assume she was having a good time with Mrs. Bakugo.

Would she mind if he just walked home? He could text her to let her know. But then she'd feel bad about leaving him out. He didn't want to spoil her night. Izuku stared at his phone, trying to decide.

"The fuck are you looking at, loser?"

"K-kacchan!" Izuku dropped his phone into a bowl of cheetos. "You surprised me." He quickly picked up his phone, dusting the cheese crumbs off. "S-sorry, I can throw out these cheetos? I can buy some more? Let me just run to a convenience store…"

"Don't bother," Kacchan said. "Just get away from the snacks."

"A-alright," Izuku said. He glanced from his phone to Kacchan and back again. It was weird, seeing the boy again after so long. Though he had seen Kacchan in passing since they'd graduated from middle school, it had always been from afar. Like on the other side of the sidewalk. Or on TV during the sports festival.

Should he ask him about the sports festival? Kacchan had looked so angry about winning. The way they'd needed to chain him to the podium had been disturbing. Was Kacchan traumatized? But he knew he wouldn't want to talk about it, especially not with someone like him…

"Shut the hell up," Kacchan said. "Stupid Deku, you know I hate it when you mutter like that. And don't fucking worry about me. I don't care about the festival anymore."

"I know you'll win again next year," Izuku said. "In a better way this time."

"Of course I will," Kacchan muttered. He was slouching, with his hands in his pockets, and frowning at an adult who was adding more chips to their plate. Izuku was surprised by how subdued his tone was. Normally Kacchan would be launching himself onto the table, making a show of his quirk and declaring himself the best.

It had only been a year, but it looked like a lot had changed.

"Wh-what was it like?" Izuku said. He knew Kacchan would be annoyed by his questions, but he couldn't help himself. "To meet All Might?"

Kacchan sighed. "It was awesome. Duh." Now he was frowning at Izuku.

"Of course, of course," Izuku said. "Sorry."

"What the hell are you sorry for?" Kacchan said. He picked up a handful of cheetos and abruptly stuffed them into his mouth.

"For asking the obvious?" Izuku said. For existing, he thought.

Kacchan groaned. He took a moment to chew and swallow, then said, "Ugh, do you want to see the class photo?"

"Th-the class photo?"

"All Might is in it. You know," Kacchan hesitated. "The new him. I mean, the uh-"

"Small Might," Izuku murmured.

"What?"

"That's what fans are calling him now," Izuku said. "I mean, some of them! I would never, I mean, he-he wouldn't like- it's kind of disrespectful. For them to call him that. I think?"

Kacchan snorted. "He wouldn't care. Might find it funny."

"You think so?!" To think Kacchan knew All Might well enough to guess his reaction to fan nicknames. It was amazing. And now it almost felt like Izuku had access, if indirectly, to his favorite hero. "Would you ask him? Wait, no, ignore me. Of course you shouldn't-"

"Whatever," Kacchan said. "Do you want to see the photo or not?"

"Yes yes yes!" Should he be questioning this random act of charity on Kaachan's part? Why would he suddenly be so nice to a quirkless loser he'd always bullied?

Izuku decided he didn't care what Kaachan's reason was. He wanted to accept it. Wanted to believe in a change of heart. Maybe even a second chance at friendship. Was that possible?

He tried not to let his thoughts leak out of him as he followed Kaachan into the Bakugo house and up to his room.

oOo

Kacchan groaned and flopped onto his bed after handing Izuku the photo.

"Can I take a picture?" Izuku said.

"A picture of a picture?" Kacchan said. "The fuck?"

"Yes!" Izuku said. He was bouncing, practically jogging in place. "Do you know how rare pictures of Small Might are?!"

"Thought you didn't call him that."

"Eheh, sometimes it's easier," Izuku said. He tugged at the hem of his shirt. "Just to differentiate…"

"Not like I care." Kacchan snapped his fingers. "Gimme that."

"Wh-what? The picture?"

"No, the jacket."

"Jacket?" Izuku looked around.

"Behind you, ya dork." Kacchan sat up and moved as if to get up. "Ugh, I'll ge-"

"No, I see it!" He spotted an orange hoodie draped over the desk chair. "But, uh, isn't it hot?"

The fan was on and the window was open, but it was still too stuffy for Izuku's liking. Still, he approached the bed and held out the hoodie.

Kacchan yanked on it so forcefully Izuku was pulled forward. He kind of tripped and half landed on the bed, but with his knees on the floor.

"You're right," Kacchan said. He tossed the jacket on the floor. Then he took his shirt off. "It's damn hot."

He'd always been athletic, but after a year in the heroics course Kacchan's musculature was…

Positively mouth watering.

So Izuku just sat there on his knees with his elbows on the bed and stared.

"C'mere," Kacchan said.

"Wh-what?"

"Get. Up. Here."

Izuku blinked. Then he scrambled up and nearly smacked his forehead on Kacchan's chin.

Grabbing Izuku by his shoulders, Kacchan said, "Deku, take a deep breath."

"Wh-why? What are you, what are we-" He was interrupted by a hand over his mouth.

"Making out I guess," Kacchan said. "Just be chill."

He removed his hand.

"Why?!" Izuku blurted.

Kacchan tilted his head. "You don't wanna?"

"No! Yes!" He squeaked. Izuku paused and cleared his throat. "Um, no I don't _not _want to. Yes, please… do."

So they did. And the whole time Izuku was distracted by questions.

Was this Kacchan's first kiss?

Why would he want _Izuku_ of all people?

If this wasn't his first kiss, was Kacchan annoyed by how bad of a kisser he was?

Oh my God _what_ is he doing with his tongue?

Was he allowed to touch Kacchan?

Did his phone just vibrate? Was his mom looking for him?

Would it be lame to just copy whatever Kacchan's tongue was doing?

Would his mom come looking for him?

Could Kacchan feel his bones when he put his arms around him?

Holy shit, why is Kacchan liking his _neck_. His neck!

Should he take his shirt off too?

Would his mom be shocked if she caught them?! Would Kacchan's mom be shocked?

What if she banned him from ever visiting again?

Would Kacchan think he was ugly if he saw him without his shirt on and then realize he'd made a mistake and tell him to leave?!

Izuku spent the entire time torturing himself like that. Then Kacchan stopped kissing him and reached into his pocket.

Izuku nearly fainted at the contact. Was Kacchan trying to touch his…?

But he was aiming for the phone.

"You should call your mom back."

So Izuku did that. And then he had to leave.

The questions plagued him for the rest of the week. Stuff like:

Should I contact Kacchan?

Pretend it never happened?

Ask him on a date?

Jump into the river and assume a new identity?

Izuku tried to bat them away like flies, but they were stubborn. They lingered on his skin when he looked at himself in the mirror.

And so did the hickies.


	2. Wasted Time

The hickies were long gone by the time he saw Kacchan again. He was home alone and surprised to hear the doorbell.

Downright shocked to see who was on the other side of the door.

"Kacchan!"

Izuku was tempted to slam the door shut.

"Sup' Deku," Kacchan said. He didn't wait for Izuku to invite him in. Just walked past him.

"Wha-wait, my mom isn't home."

"I know," he said.

Izuku stared at him.

"What? My mom is in the book club too." Kacchan headed towards the stairs and Izuku was left to trail after him.

"She doesn't go as often as your mom though," Kacchan added. Even if he hadn't remembered where Izuku's room was, the sign on his door labeled it pretty clearly.

Izuku followed him inside.

Just like before Kacchan immediately flopped onto the bed.

Gulping, Izuku stood by the door. "You, uh, want some lemonade?"

"Nah, just get over here." Kacchan took his shirt off and flexed. "Wanna touch 'em this time?"

"Uh, actually I think I gotta take some clothes out of the laundry," Izuku said. "So, uh, yeah let me just…"

He stared at his feet as he left the room.

There wasn't any laundry. Of course there wasn't. Kacchan knew there wasn't. Izuku knew there wasn't. But he couldn't just dive in like last time.

Last time had seemed like a miracle. A once in a lifetime opportunity. If he didn't jump on it, Izuku would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

But _this_ time was different. Twice was a pattern, wasn't it? And in his own house! Kacchan was on his bed! What the heck was going on? Did Kacchan like him?

Why would he like _him_ of all people? It didn't make any sense. They hadn't spoken in a year. Their friendship had soured several years ago. It was suspicious wasn't it?

Or was it arrogant to think so? What could be suspicious about a talented future pro-hero wanting to kiss a quirkless nobody? What would he have to gain? Nothing. Zero. Deku.

It could be because they'd been apart for so long. Maybe Kacchan was feeling nostalgic. His memories had made Izuku seem better than he actually was.

As he paced around the house he tried to talk himself into going back upstairs. It had been too long. He had to hurry up or Kacchan would leave!

But he couldn't do it.

After going in circles, Kacchan came back downstairs. "What, is this a bad fucking time for you?" he said.

_There you go, are you happy?!_ Izuku thought. _You blew it! _

"N-no," he said. "Sorry, I just, um, I'm done now. I'm good now. Sorry. But you can leave if you want to."

"There's only ten minutes left," Kacchan said. He tsked. "You wasted all our time."

Izuku blinked. "You mean until the book club ends?"

"Of course," Kacchan said. "Stupid Deku, pay attention will ya? Jeez."

"S-sorry." Izuku felt relieved and disappointed at the same time. He wasn't sure which of the two was the more powerful emotion.

"Whatever, I'll come back next week."

"Next week?!"

"The book club is every week isn't it?" Kacchan rolled his eyes. Then he frowned. "Or you don't want me to?"

"N-no, please come back!" Izuku said. "But, uh, didn't you say your mom doesn't go every time?"

"So? All that matters is _your_ mom going," Kacchan said. "Just text me if she decides to bail and I won't come."

"T-text you?"

Kacchan groaned. "Did ya lose my number or something? Fuck."

"No, I have it," Izuku said. "You never changed it?"

"No I didn't fucking change it," Kacchan said. "It's only been one measly year, what did you think? My whole identity would change? Why would I change my number?"

"It's been a lot longer than a year," Izuku said. "S-since we texted, I mean."

"Always gotta be a smart-ass, don't ya?" Kacchan had been getting closer and closer as they talked. Now they were practically up against each other. Their bodies weren't touching, but

Izuku could feel his body heat. Kacchan was breathing on him and it would be so easy to close the distance. To kiss.

"Whatever, I didn't change it," Kacchan said. "Text. Me."

"Okay," Izuku murmured. He felt small, yet important. How was that possible? "I'll... I'll text you. Whether or not to come."

Kacchan growled against his ear. "If I come back here, you better not pull this shit again."

"I won't," Izuku said. He could feel himself shiver.

"Speak up," Kacchan said.

"I won't!" he repeated. "I really won't, I swear. I'm so-"

"I'm tired of hearing you apologize," Kacchan said. "Just let me fucking kiss you."

So Izuku let him. He expected tongue, or something like it had been last time. But Kacchan just pecked at his lips. One. Two. They were quick and aggressive. Three.

Kacchan nipped at his bottom lip. Four. They were too fast for Izuku to react to.

Then he stopped. "See you later," he said.

Izuku couldn't think of a coherent response. So he just waved like an idiot and watched Kacchan let himself out.

oOo

Next time, Izuku was ready. He calmly let Kacchan in and lead him up the stairs to the bedroom. This time Izuku himself plopped down on the bed and Kacchan followed suit.

Actually, Kacchan plopped down on top of Izuku. With his full weight.

Izuku groaned and Kacchan laughed. Then he removed the weight by getting on his hands and knees.

Face down under him, Izuku was tempted to bury his face in a pillow.

"Turn around," Kacchan said.

He complied. But he closed his eyes. Because he didn't want to see Kacchan towering over him. It would be too much like their childhood.

They would wrestle and Izuku would lose. Over and over again. Everything was a competition to Kacchan, after all. Izuku knew this wasn't really any different.

"Look at me," Kacchan said.

"That's okay," Izuku said. "I'll just- actually I should turn off the lights-"

"Fuck that." Kacchan bit Izuku's nose.

He squealed, but kept his eyes scrunched shut. Feeling the weight of Kacchan's body slowly shifting closer, Izuku flinched. Thinking, maybe Kacchan would-

Well, he didn't know what he thought Kacchan would do. But he wasn't expecting a kiss on the cheek.

Izuku opened his eyes.

"There you go," Kacchan said, smirking. "Good boy." Then Kacchan kissed him on the forehead. "You don't need to be so nervous."

There were no words. No questions either, for once. Izuku could only smile so widely his cheeks hurt.

Then, slowly, Kacchan shifted off of him and sat against the wall. He grabbed Izuku's legs and pulled them onto his lap.

Started kissing Izuku's thighs.

The questions came flooding back:

Why did I wear shorts?!

Weren't we just going to kiss and stuff?

Has he done this before? With who? How many times, how many people?

Should I do something too? I can't reach him in this position, should I try to sit up?

Is it too late to kick him out? Can he see that I'm already hard? Is he?

... Is this sort of thing all he'll ever want from me?

When Kacchan squeezed his butt, Izuku flinched so hard he accidentally kicked him in the face.

"What the fuck?!" Kacchan said. He put his arms up defensively.

"Sorry, sorry!" Izuku scrambled off the bed and landed on the floor head first. "I just, I wasn't, I didn't, uh."

"You didn't what?" He had to lean over the side of the bed to see Izuku scrambling up.

"Hold on!" Izuku said.

Then he ran for the bathroom.

"What's the goddamn problem, Deku?" Kacchan said through the door.

Izuku wished there was enough room to pace. Instead all he could do was sort of sway in place, then stop against the sink. Splash water on his face.

"Deku!" Kacchan knocked. "If you don't fucking answer me-"

"I'm sorry," Izuku said. He addressed his reflection, more than Kacchan. "I don't know how to do this stuff."

"What's there to know?" Kacchan said. "Just let me handle it. It's as easy as that."

"C-can you just… leave?"

Silence. Then:

Explosions.

Izuku could only jump out of the way as the door fell into the room.

"Just fucking leave," Kacchan echoed. He stepped over the door and Izuku backed up. He had to step into the bathtub and Kacchan followed him in. "Just fucking leave?! Deku-"

Again Kacchan invaded his space. Up against the wall.

"What?!" Izuku shouted. "I'm useless, I've got nothing for you! So just leave!"

"To hell there's nothing for me," Kacchan said. "I told you not to pull this shit."

When Kacchan tried to kiss him, Izuku bit him.

"Fucker!"

Izuku tasted copper. He hadn't intended to cut Kacchan that deeply, yet he felt a grim satisfaction in it. As if, for the first time, he'd finally won.

"If I could be good at anything," Izuku said. "J-just _one _thing. I don't want it to be… That."

Kacchan wiped the blood off his lip and blinked. "Ha?"

With a huff, Izuku put a hand on Kacchan's chest and gently shoved him. Suddenly subdued, the taller boy took a step back. Then another.

Then he sat on the toilet. Kacchan sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not good at just following orders," Izuku said. "I have questions. I have doubts. I can't just lie down while you… handle it. That's not something I want to become good at."

Rolling his eyes, Kacchan said, "You're making it out to be more than it is."

"Fine, maybe I am," Izuku said. He stepped out of the bathtub. "I don't know. Either way you need to leave."

Lazily lifting his hands in the air in mock surrender, Kacchan stood and scrutinized him. They lingered there for a moment. Just regarding each other.

Then Izuku walked past him and led the way to the door.

He opened it and gestured.

Kacchan walked out.


	3. Strong and Independent

Mom didn't ask about the fallen door when she got home. She didn't have to. She just sighed and called Mrs. Bakugo. Then she made katsudon, his favorite, even though it was too early for dinner.

He decided not to sulk. He decided not to, but then started rewatching his favorite All Might clips and ended up sulking anyway. His mom noticed and made him hot chocolate, which- though delicious- did not help! To steer away from the mood he had to go on a temporary All Might strike.

Izuku had an epiphany while rewatching the most recent sports festival. It was the fight between Hatsume Mei and Iida Tenya, which was no fight at all. It was the first time he'd ever seen a non-hero student take on someone from the hero course and actually hold up their end of the fight. Heck, she'd done more than that. She'd _toyed _with him. Then she'd forfeited.

And all with a bit of tech. If only he could learn from her, learn how to build and operate his own tech…

He especially liked the way she'd enhanced Iida's quirk and given him an advantage. If he'd had practice with it and were fighting someone who didn't know the tech's weak spots, he could have been amazing.

Hatsume was in the support department. It was the perfect place for her talents, which was the ability to help heroes enhance _their _talents. In a way she was the ultimate hero. A hero who helped _the heroes. _

It was perfect, he thought. Izuku couldn't think of a better calling. So he started studying for the U.A entrance exam once again. This time he'd get in. This time, he'd make a difference.

That's how he spent the rest of his summer vacation.

And he tried not to think about Kacchan at all.

oOo

On the first day of school Izuku kept an eye out for Hatsume Mei. He was hoping they'd be in the same class, but the Support course had a surprisingly big department. They had twice the students the Hero course did. And at lunch she was nowhere to be found.

"Deku?!"

Kacchan, on the other hand, was so easy to find Izuku didn't even have to look. Not that he would have looked. Kacchan was the last person he wanted to talk to.

"H-hi," he said. "Funny running into you here…"

"The hell are you doing here?" Kacchan scrutinized his uniform. "You didn't transfer?!"

"Um, I _did _transfer," Izuku said. Then, before Kacchan could give himself an aneurysm, he hastened to add, "To the support department."

"Oh, makes sense," Kacchan said. He scratched his head. "Why didn't you just apply there last year? Stupid Deku."

He didn't want to hear that. "Well, better late than never," he said. "So I've got to, um, go that way, okay? Bye..."

Izuku left the cafeteria without eating, but figured it was just as well. He'd lost his appetite.

oOo

Hatsume Mei was infamous in the Support Department. There wasn't a single student who hadn't heard of her. Apparently it was normal for her to skip lunch. She'd use the period to work on her personal projects.

He was told that she pretty much lived in the Development Studio, the pride and joy of the department and supervised by the pro hero Power Loader. Getting to work directly with pro heros was Izuku's favorite thing about U.A. and he decided that he would approach Power Loader as soon as possible to ask after the regulations for his workshop.

But for his first day, things had gone pretty smoothly. He'd familiarized himself with the layout of the building and introduced himself to a handful of people. For now, that was enough.

He wasn't expecting Kacchan to wait for him at the school gate.

"What?" Kacchan said, defensively. "We live on the same street. Might as well walk together."

"If I'd known you were going to wait for me I would have walked faster," Izuku said. "Sor-"

"Don't fucking apologize, shitty nerd," Kacchan said. "Just get moving already."

So he did. And they walked together in the most uncomfortable silence since the dawn of man. The whole time Izuku had topic ideas that he _could _have tried talking about, but for each one he could think of a million ways that Kacchan might poke fun at it. So he stayed silent.

It wasn't until both their houses were within view that Kacchan finally broke the silence. "Hey Deku?"

"Y-yes?" Izuku had to squint to look at him, because the sun was directly behind him.

"What," Kacchan started. Then he cleared his throat and frowned to himself. "Wh-whatever kicked your ass into action is, uh. Is uh, well, it's about damn time."

There were black dots clouding Izuku's vision. The sun was so bright today. He looked down and fiddled with the straps on his backpack. "I thought you didn't want me going to U.A."

"Yeah, I thought so too," Kacchan said. "Whatever. See you later, nerd."

In that moment, as Kacchan continued walking to his own house next door, Izuku was tempted to call out to him. _Do you want to eat lunch together tomorrow? _He could say. Or maybe: _Can I text you sometime?_

But no. He wouldn't be eating lunch tomorrow either. He needed to find Hatsume Mei.

Don't let him distract you, Izuku told himself. Don't let him win.

oOo

The next morning they walked to school together. This time the silence was a little less suffocating. It could be comfortable, even. Izuku would will his mind into silence, he decided, and be at peace with himself. And if he couldn't do that he could at least keep his thoughts to himself.

Or he could try.

"Always with the muttering," Kacchan said. "Just speak up if you have something to say."

"I don't have anything to say," Izuku said. "I was just thinking."

"Lower the volume of your goddamn thoughts then," Kacchan said. "It's too early for this shit."

Izuku was about to apologize, but he stopped himself. Instead he picked up his pace as they neared the school gate and they gracefully walked apart. To their respective classes, their separate departments. Izuku thought about telling Kacchan to have a good day, or of saying goodbye, but what if Kacchan didn't want to be seen talking to him? Safer not to.

oOo

Hatsume Mei was a strange person. She was friendly enough and seemed glad to have someone around who would listen to her talk about her "babies" without complaint, but it only took one conversation for Izuku to figure out why most of their peers avoided her.

It was hard to put into words, but he got the feeling she prioritized her inventions above all else. Caring for them more than for people. She was doing good work, but for the wrong reasons?

And she didn't know how to respect personal space.

Despite all that Izuku was glad to work with her. He'd learned a lot in just one day and told Kacchan all about it as they walked home together, forgetting that he'd decided not to be talkative around his childhood friend.

Kacchan didn't interrupt or mock him at all. He even nodded and grunted occasionally to show he was still listening. It was the best interaction they'd had since they were children and when they reached Izuku's house he was tempted to invite him inside.

Could they sit down together and re-watch old All Might cartoons without things being weird? Would Kacchan be polite if he was invited to stay for dinner? It was too much to hope for.

As the weeks wore on Izuku kept all these questions to himself. It's what he was best at.


	4. Come Camping

At first it seemed like any other day. Izuku walked to school with Kacchan as usual. He chattered away about his classes, about Hatsume Mei, and about the preparations they were doing for this year's sports festival. It was still a few weeks away, but they had decided to get a head start. _As usual _Kacchan didn't say much. But today seemed a little different.

There was something about his eyebrows. Sure, Kacchan regularly scowled at anything that moved. He had what some might call a resting bitch face. But today the furrow between his brows was deeper. The wrinkles on his forehead had multiplied.

Still, Izuku knew better than to ask him what was wrong.

Then while they were walking back home it was worse. He could tell by the set of Kacchan's shoulders. The way he was hunching in on himself. Worried that Kacchan would take his anger out on him, Izuku resolved to remain silent.

But that didn't work.

"Why the hell are you so quiet?" Kacchan said. "Did you finally run out of hero worship for you new best friend?"

"No I didn't," Izuku said. "But I guess it's annoying you, so it's better if I don't talk about her from now on?"

"Like I fucking care what the hell you do or who the hell you talk about?"

"I didn't mean to imply-" Izuku started, but Kacchan cut him off.

"You're so busy with your shiny new _toys _and your shitty new _friends_ that I look like a tattered old pair of shoes you've outgrown?" Kacchan growled. "Is that it?"

Kacchan picked up his pace, practically jogging ahead, and Izuku hastened to catch up.

"You fucking laughing at me, Deku?" Kacchan was glaring at the sky as he spoke. "Think it's lame that I wanna fucking roast marshmellows like a little kid?"

Unable to keep up with him, Izuku said, "Would you please wait?!"

Abruptly Kacchan spun around and grabbed him, pinning him to the wooden fence of a house on their street. They were so close to their own houses that Izuku could see them over his shoulder.

"Is it the fishing? It fucking boring to you?" He had a tight grip on Izuku's shoulders. He leaned close enough for Izuku to feel his breath as he spoke. "Tired of canoeing and barbeque? You think it's childish? You think it's beneath you?! Ha?!"

For a second Izuku was so distracted by Kacchan's lips, which were chapped and scabbed, that he didn't register what he was actually saying. Had he gotten punched in the face during training today? Would it hurt him if Izuku leaned in and kissed him?

But then it caught up to him. "This is about the camping trip?"

"No it's about the fucking sports festival," Kacchan said, rolling his eyes. "_Yes_, the camping trip. Why the hell don't you want to go?"

Yesterday Izuku's mom had been on the phone with Mrs. Bakugo. They were talking about that camping trip. It had been years since the Bakugos had made the time for one. Last time had been the summer before their first year of middle school. They'd always taken Izuku with them. His mom hated nature, she easily sunburned and had a pathological fear of bugs, so Izuku was always thrilled to tag along.

But when his mom said Mrs. Bakugo was extending another invitation he'd thought it was best to turn it down. Things were better between him and Kacchan now, but he wasn't sure where they stood. What if he was annoyed with Izuku for going? What if he resented him?

He knew he wouldn't be able to handle that.

"Y-you wanted me to go?" Izuku said.

"Isn't that obvious?" Kacchan muttered. He tried to step back, but Izuku grabbed the hands on his shoulders and held them in place.

"It isn't," he said. Why couldn't Kacchan see things from his perspective for once?

"Ha?" Kacchan was looking up again. Izuku bopped him on the nose. An eskimo kiss. That finally brought his eyes back down.

Kacchan _blushed_ when they made eye contact and Izuku wished he had those glasses that were also cameras that Mei had been talking about last week. He would have to rely on his memory. But the more you reviewed a memory the fuzzier it became.

Or actually it became sharper, but the details changed. Because your brain accidentally damages the original memory with each reviewing, but as the holes appear it automatically fills those gaps with random facts. That's how a memory of a blanket that was actually yellow might become pink, or something that happened in August will later seem like it happened in February. Photographic evidence was the only thing that could be relied upon-

"Deku, shut up," Kacchan said. He glared at Izuku as if he were personally responsible for starving children in Africa. And also the end of the world. "Come camping with me."

Maybe he would try to draw Kacchan's blushing face when he got home. He should learn how to paint too.

"I'd love to," he said. Was this the right time to kiss Kacchan? Should he wait for Kacchan to do it? If they kissed would they have to do more? Did he want to do more? What if he accidentally kicked Kacchan again? His stupid legs might freak out without him.

"Stop thinking so much," Kacchan said. He gave Izuku a peck on the lips. Too fast, too small.

"M-more," Izuku said, breathless.

Kacchan chuckled and kissed him again. This one was agonizingly slow. But it was the nicest kiss they'd had so far. Izuku was afraid Kacchan would stick his tongue in or do something weird, but that never happened.

When Kacchan ran his fingers through Izuku's hair he thought he would die right there. He did it roughly and his fingers got tangled while he tried to sweep through the knots. The way it tugged on Izuku's scalp felt _amazing. _

"Don't forget, Deku," Kacchan murmured against his earlobe. He gave an experimental lick and grinned like a wolf when Izuku yelped. "Tell your mom you're going."

Izuku nodded. Satisfied, Kacchan released his hold on Izuku's curls and stepped back.

"You need to pack an overnight bag," Kacchan said. "We're leaving at ass o'clock on Saturday and spending the night. My dad could only get two days off from work, so we're coming back on Sunday."

Again Izuku nodded.

Kacchan rolled his eyes, "Speak up."

"I won't forget," Izuku said. "Thank you, Kacchan. For inviting me."

Glancing at the sky again, which Izuku now recognized as a sign of embarrassment, Kacchan muttered, "Don't thank me, stupid nerd. Just… don't change your mind."

Izuku blinked. Was Kacchan worried?

"I won't," Izuku said. They continued walking towards their homes.

"If you do I'll fucking murder you, you got that?"

That made Izuku giggle and Kacchan growled. "I'm not kidding!"

When he reached the door to his house Izuku glanced back at Kacchan, who was standing in place at the gate. Face _flaming _now, Kacchan spun around and walked to his own house. In response Izuku could feel his own latent embarrassment creep up on him and he covered his face with his hands when his mom greeted him.


	5. Sharing a Tent

"We can't share a fucking tent!" Kacchan said. He was arguing with his mom while Izuku and his dad set up the campsite.

"It's the same size as ours, it's not like there's not enough space," Mrs. Bakugo said.

"I said you could take it out of my allowance." Kacchan kicked his duffle bag. "I thought you'd bought it!"

"Take it out of his allowance, he says," Mrs. Bakugo said. "Ungrateful brat. Listen here-"

"Now now," Mr. Bakugo said. "There's no point arguing about it. What's done is done."

"I'm _telling you_ we could still go to a store," Kacchan said.

"And waste another three hours driving? Are you crazy?" Mrs. Bakugo said.

"Um, I don't mind sharing a tent," Izuku said.

"Shut up, Deku."

Mrs. Bakugo smacked Kacchan upside the head. "Is that any way to talk to your friend?!"

"He's _my _friend, I'll talk to him however I want," Kacchan said. But softened his tone and glanced at the sky. "Um, Deku you don't understand…"

"What don't we understand, hmm?" Mrs. Bakugo put her hands on her hips. "Explain it to us."

"I wasn't talking to _you_," he said. She smacked him again. "You fucking hag!"

"Respect your elders," she said. And smacked him _again._

Izuku wedged himself in between them. "Um, can we go to the lake?"

"Sure thing, sweetie. As soon as we've finished setting up."

Giving up, Kacchan stomped away, muttering something about firewood under his breath. Izuku helped his parents pitch the tents and then they all went swimming.

It was hard, seeing Kacchan shirtless again. Izuku worried if he stared and worried if he _didn't_. Would his parents notice him blushing? Would they wonder why he was avoiding their son all of a sudden? Why had he suggested swimming?! He should have said hiking! Hiking!

What was worse was the way Kacchan teased Izuku for keeping his t-shirt on in the water. He tugged on it, dragging Izuku deeper into the lake than he wanted to go, and the only escape was to abandon the shirt altogether. Then Kaccan wouldn't give it back!

So Izuku didn't want to get out of the water when it was time for lunch. Mrs. Bakugo eventually had to carry him to their picnic table, hoisting him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He spent that little journey stuttering apologies, saying "I take it back! I can walk!" while everyone laughed.

"Nuh uh, this is your punishment for being stubborn, beansprout," Mrs. Bakugo said.

When she sat him on the bench he was covering his face with his hands, mortified. He didn't look up until he felt a towel on his head.

Kacchan was drying his hair!

Izuku was going to have a heart attack before he made it back home.

"Here, wear this," Kacchan said. He gave Izuku his sleeveless black shirt. The one with the skull and flames that he'd been wearing before they went swimming.

"M-my shirt…?" Izuku said.

"I laid it out by the fire, so just wear this."

"Ah, o-or I could go get another shirt out of my bag…"

"Wear. This."

"Okay!"

And they all ate lunch.

With a shirtless Kacchan.

He spilled some barbeque sauce and it landed on his _bare stomach_.

Izuku was going to have a heart attack before the _meal _was done.

oOo

"You two get along now, you hear?" Mrs. Bakugo snickered at them while zipping up their tent.

Kacchan cussed her out and she burst into giggles. They could hear her snorting as she walked away.

"D-don't worry Kacchan." Izuku had brought plenty of extra blankets with him. He quickly went to work piling them and all his pillows into a wall, splitting the tent in two. "We can just… ignore each other? For the night?"

Kacchan snorted. "I didn't say I wanted to ignore ya." He stretched out on his side of the tent with his elbow on the barrier, chin propped up on his hand. "Don't tell me you're tired?"

"N-not yet," Izuku said. He gulped. "Did you want to…?"

"Hell yeah."

The make out session would go smoothly today, Izuku thought. He was determined to keep his cool. He wanted it to be like that first time at Kacchan's house. And it was!

Except Kacchan kept his shirt on. And, actually, he was slower. He didn't use tongue.

Why didn't he use tongue?

Not that Izuku wanted him to, but had Kacchan figured that out? How could he tell?

Kacchan groaned and pulled away, "I can feel you thinking!"

"Y-you can?" Had he been muttering again?

"Ugh, you said before that you always have questions." Kacchan tugged at the hair at the back of Izuku's head and pulled him away, putting distance between them. "Fucking ask them or something. Before I smack you."

He wanted to clamp his jaw shut and shake his head, but Kacchan still had a firstfull of his hair. When he tried shaking his head he just ended up tugging at the roots.

Kacchan glared at him.

"Was I your f-first kiss?"

"No."

He said it so easily. As if he'd been asked if two plus three equals four. It was just another fact to Kacchan. Izuku tried to straighten up, or pull away, he just wanted to _move_, but Kacchan still held onto his hair.

His other hand came up to cup Izuku's chin. His thumb poking at Izuku's bottom lip.

"That's it? I thought you'd have a million questions."

"Was it a boy or a girl?" Izuku said.

Kacchan rolled his eyes. "That doesn't matter."

"But-"

Izuku didn't know if he was annoyed or relieved to be interrupted by another kiss. It was one of Kacchan's aggressive pecks.

He giggled and Kacchan growled. Peck. "What's so-" Peck. Peck. "Funny?"

"You're a woodpecker!"

Finally letting go of Izuku's curls, Kacchan leaned back. Izuku chased him, unleashing his own flurry of pecks. Kacchan groaned and it somehow turned into a competition.

Which ended when their noses got painfully knocked together.

Kacchan huffed, rolling over the blanket wall to his own side. "Let's go to sleep."

"Really?"

"Yes really! I'm tired." He pulled a blanket over his head.

"Won't you get hot like that?"

"Shut up! No I won't!"

The sun hadn't even fully set yet. "Are you actually tired?" Izuku said. He didn't believe it.

"Go to sleep, Deku."

Silence settled over them. Izuku stretched out on his back, suddenly aware that he was breathing kind of hard. He tried to slow it down, paranoid that Kacchan would hear him panting.

Which, of course, made it worse. Izuku rolled over, smashing his face into his pillow. When he noticed the cicadas he silently begged for them to chirp louder. He became aware of the pattern to Kacchan's breathing, which was also labored.

He bolted upright when he heard Kacchan gasp.

"Are you-"

"Shut up!"

Kacchan threw something at him. When he examined it Izuku realized it was a pair of his own cargo shorts. The ones he'd worn before they went swimming.

Izuku wanted to give Kacchan privacy, but he couldn't resist glancing over. Not that he saw anything, Kacchan had his back to him. He was unzipping the tent.

"I fucking told her," he muttered. "Fuck, I'll go to the outhouse."

"Wait! You can stay!"

"Deku-"

"Please."

They regarded each other for a moment. Izuku kept his eyes on Kacchan's face, which was red as a tomato. His was probably the same.

"Stay with me," Izuku said. "I'll… help."

With a huff, Kacchan zipped the tent back closed. Then he flopped facedown on his pile of blankets and groaned. "You're gonna freak out again," he said.

"I won't!"

"You _will_."

"Then talk me through it this time," Izuku said. "Answer more questions."

Kacchan sighed. "Alright."


	6. Fooling Around

"C-can I see it?" Izuku said. They were sitting across from each other in the tent, unsure what to do. Izuku had his legs crossed, his hands on his knees.

"Fuck," Kacchan murmured. "Would I get to see yours too?"

Izuku hesitated.

"It's unfair if I'm the only one always getting undressed," Kacchan said. "You're always wanting to keep your shirt on…"

_What's unfair is how good looking you are!_ Izuku thought.

But he took his shirt off. Then, before he could chicken out, Izuku wiggled out of his shorts.

Kacchan hurried to do the same and before they knew it they were both in their underwear. And it was embarrassing because Izuku still had tidy whities. Kacchan had boxer briefs.

It fucking figured.

And now they were both hard. It was dim inside the tent, but not so dark that they couldn't see each other. Couldn't see _that._

"N-now what?" Kacchan said.

"I thought you had experience?"

"Not _this kind_, asshole!"

"Sh-should we take off our underwear too?"

"Do you want to?"

**No**.

But.

"I want to see," Izuku said.

"Count of three?"

"Okay."

"Alright, uh, one."

It felt like crouching at the start of a race.

"Two."

You bounce on the balls of your feet knowing the momentum will carry you forward.

"Three!"

And then you _run._ Izuku pulled his stupid underwear down and tipped over trying to get it down his legs and _off._ Kacchan laughed at him.

Feeling competitive, because Izuku couldn't hang around with Kacchan without feeling like he was losing somehow, Izuku crawled towards him.

Kacchan stopped laughing as Izuku sat on his lap. They fell back and now they were lying down and Izuku was on top.

On top!

But he didn't know what to do next.

"H-hey," Kacchan said. "You're kind of… crushing it."

"Sorry!" Izuku's felt it under his thigh. It was was warm. He shifted off of it.

He was tempted to roll away, but Kacchan put his hands on his hips. Then they kissed.

For a while it was almost normal. They were just kissing. And pressed up against each other. And naked. But it was going fine! There were no questions, this time.

Izuku didn't know what to ask anymore. That did it. Now he was stuck wondering if he was supposed to ask something. Kacchan said he would talk Izuku through this. But now neither of them were talking.

Should they be talking?

"What do you want, Deku?" Kacchan said. "Just… explain it to me."

"I don't know," Izuku said. "What do _you _want?"

"I want to rub one out," he said. "For both of us."

"Wh-wh-wha..." Izuku didn't even know what he was trying to say. What? Why? When?

Now?!

"Shhh, it's okay." Kacchan said. "D-don't freak out." He rubbed his hands up and down Izuku's back. Nuzzled their noses together. Another eskimo kiss. Izuku giggled, remembering the way Kacchan had blushed when _he_ did that.

"Sorry."

"_Don't_, ugh-" Kacchan huffed. "It's okay. You… you okay?" It was darker now. Izuku couldn't see Kacchan's face. But he could feel his breath. It was hot. He was breathing quickly.

"I'm okay." Izuku put his head on Kacchan's shoulder. In the curve of his neck. Then he snaked his arms under Kacchan's back. It was difficult because Izuku was still on top of him, but he wanted a hug. He wanted to _squeeze_.

"Can I touch you? Touch your… thing?"

"My penis," Izuku said, giggling again. He felt stupid for laughing, but he couldn't stop.

"Yeah, yeah. Can I grab it?"

Izuku nodded.

He didn't know what exactly he was expecting it to feel like. Like it always did when he took care of it himself? And it was like that, but was also like being tickled.

Being tickled almost feels good, but then it's also kind of horrible in its intensity. You're laughing _too much_ and it's something that you could never do to yourself. That you'd never want to do to yourself. Kacchan touched him in a way that felt too good, like that.

So, instinctively, Izuku tried to pull away.

"Does it hurt?"

"N-no, but-"

"Then just let me-"

"W-wait," Izuku gasped. "It's too-"

Then he came.

He was too distracted to be embarrassed about it. So instead Izuku hugged Kacchan and panted, confused and tingling.

Kacchan grabbed his butt and Izuku squeaked in surprise.

"God, you're _great_," Kacchan bucked under him, rubbing himself against Izuku's leg. "I fucking love how small you are."

Izuku blinked. He couldn't think of anything to say to that.

Then Kacchan growled and flipped them around. "Dammit, can I-can I-"

"Wh-what do you-"

Kacchan licked one of Izuku's nipples.

Izuku gasped. "That's-"

"Let me just-"

"Wait!"

There was a light outside. Izuku could see it through the tent's flimsy walls. A light?

A flashlight!

He pushed Kacchan off and scrambled for a blanket.

Kacchan was too slow to react. He just blinked as the light got bigger. Closer.

"The hell are you guys doing?" Mrs. Bakugo unzipped their tent.

Kacchan threw his duffle bag at her. "You little fuck!"

Then he scrambled to cover himself up, but it was too late. Mrs. Bakugo grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of the tent. "My son's a beast, huh? I should have known."

A litany of expletives was his only reply.

Mrs. Bakugo squinted at Izuku where he lay frozen with his blanket pulled up to his chin, heart jack hammering in his chest as he waited for a reprimand.

"I'm so sorry, Izuku. I'll make him sleep with us."

And with that she picked up Kacchan's duffle bag and zipped the tent back shut. Izuku watched their shadows as Mrs. Bakugo smacked him and told him to "Get some clothes on for chrissake."

Then he was alone.

And sticky.

And terrified.

Would Mrs. Bakugo tell his mom what had happened?

What did she think? That it had only been Kacchan? Would she be disappointed when he told her the truth? Would their parents keep them separated?

They'd still see each other at school, but they were in different departments.

Now he'd never be let into their house again. Never be invited on another camping trip. Never be able to look any of them in the eyes or enjoy a meal together.

Izuku snuck out of his tent when he was sure everyone was asleep. He rinsed himself off and put his pajamas on.

Then he lay awake for the rest of the night. Mourning the things he'd lost.


	7. Inclinations

The next morning they ate, packed up, and otherwise existed in an awkward silence. Technically a few words were exchanged here and there. Mostly between Mr and Mrs. Bakugo. If anyone addressed Izuku he would nod or shake his head. When his parents asked Kacchan to do anything he would grunt in acknowledgement.

And that is how the morning passed.

Before he knew it they were all in the car. Mrs. Bakugo tried to get some music going, but as they drove they would lose radio stations. Eventually they had nothing but static. She gave up and shut it off.

Finally, an hour into the drive, Izuku exploded. "Please don't tell my mom!"

"Oh, honey," Mrs. Bakugo said. "You aren't in trouble, you know? There's no need to be so nervous."

Izuku blinked. "You aren't mad?"

"Of course not," she said. "There's nothing wrong with, um, with…"

"With those inclinations," Mr. Bakugo chimed in. "It's not a crime."

Glancing at Kacchan, who was scowling out the window with his arms crossed, Izuku wondered what exactly he was missing. "But you called Kacchan a beast."

Mrs. Bakugo laughed. "He _is_ a beast! If I hadn't stepped in he would have plowed the field, eh brat?"

Kacchan grunted.

"Wh-what?"

Mr. Bakugo turned around in his seat to look at them. "Listen, you boys are too young for that kind of tomfoolery."

"The hell we are," Kacchan said.

"Listen to your father!"

"Fuck off."

"Fuck off, he says. I should pull over _right now_ and teach you a lesson," Mrs. Bakugo said. "Of all the disrespectful-"

"Mitsuki, please. Eyes on the road."

She had been glaring at Kacchan through the rearview mirror. With a groan, she did as her husband asked and they settled into an awkward silence once again.

But Izuku still had the same concern. "Then you won't tell my mom? Right?"

The Bakugos exchanged a look. "Uh, well," Mrs. Bakugo began. "I mean-"

"You should be the one to tell her, Izuku," Mr. Bakugo said. "We won't do it for you."

He frowned at his wife. As if to say _you're not allowed._

Again, she sighed. "We won't tell her."

"B-but it's embarrassing," Izuku said.

"You don't have to tell her what we _did_," Kacchan said. "They mean you should tell her you're gay. Stupid Deku."

Oh.

"Was that unclear?" Mr. Bakugo chuckled. "My bad, I thought we were all on the same page."

Mrs. Bakugo started laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. "Imagine him giving Inko all the tawdry details!" She cackled. "There we were, naked, sweating, when his mom came in and stopped us… Oh my god, she would die!"

"Honey, please drive carefully."

With one hand on the wheel she used the other to wipe at her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

oOo

He knew Mrs. Bakugo would end up telling his mom eventually. She just didn't seem like the kind of person who was good at keeping secrets. So Izuku had to beat her to it.

He had no choice.

When he finally got the words out the look on his mom's face was heartbreaking. It was the same expression she wore on the day they found out he was quirkless.

Crying, she hugged him. He half expected her to apologize the way she had that day. But instead she said, "Izuku, you know I'll always love you no matter what you do or who you are. You hear me? I love you more than life."

"I know, Mom."

"But honey…"

Gulping, he pulled away from her hug. "What?"

"Your life will be so much harder, if this is your choice." She tried to pull him back into the hug, but he took a step back. "I will always accept you. And help you. But are you sure this is what you want?"

"W-why would it be hard?"

"The world is harsh."

He thought of Mrs. Bakugo slapping Kacchan over and over again. They were light little smacks weren't they? They didn't actually hurt him. But what if she hit him harder than usual that night? Wasn't she really upset?

But in the car ride the Bakugos had acted the same way they always did. Like it was no big deal and nothing had changed. _It isn't a crime._

"Promise me you'll be careful, Izuku."

"I promise."

But he didn't know exactly what she meant by that. Careful not to… lose his virginity? Because they were too young? Or careful not to get caught again?

Once Kacchan had kissed him outside. They were in the neighborhood and no one was out. Izuku would have been embarrassed to be caught (PDA is always embarrassing, isn't it?) but at the time he hadn't even thought about it.

If they _had_ been seen by someone would that be bad? What would happen?

He wanted to ask. But he didn't want to ask.

He wanted to know. But he was afraid.

Kacchan texted him that night, **You tell her?**

**Yeah**

**What she say?**

Maybe he could ask Kacchan his questions. Hadn't he said so? Did these kind of questions count? Would he even have the answers?

**She loves me.**

**Well duh,** Kacchan said.

**Typing…**

**Typing…**

The little eraser icon told Izuku that something had been deleted before it was sent. He wished that feature had never been invented. It just left him feeling anxious. And it drove him crazy, not knowing what Kacchan had almost said.

Finally, Kacchan said: **We're still walking to school together?**

**Why wouldn't we?**

**Typing…**

More erasing. Then, **Idk fuck**

This shouldn't be so hard, Izuku thought. Nothing has changed.

Nothing has changed.

**I'll see you tomorrow, Kacchan.**

That night Izuku fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes. He was exhausted. When he woke up, his heart was beating like crazy and he wondered if he'd had a nightmare.

But the images slipped away when he tried to recall them.


	8. Kiss My Medal, Bitch!

Izuku never thought he'd star in a viral video. But twelve long days after the sports festival **Kiss My Medal, Bitch!** was still trending on every social media platform under the sun.

It was the first thing he thought about when he woke up in the morning. Each time he tried to talk himself out of reading the latest comments, but it was a losing battle.

Most of the comments were innocuous enough. "Lol"s and "bromance!" kind of one word replies with emojis and thumbs up. But then there were the ones that haunted him:

**Who's that random kid he's lifting up?**

**Support department nobody**

**Isn't he quirkless?**

**Who the hell is that?**

**The Iron Man wannabe**

**Why the fuck would Bakugo celebrate with HIM?!**

One comment thread in particular was blowing up. The original comment: **I SHIP THEM**. The discourse that followed didn't bear repeating. Though it did repeat, in the back of his mind, over and over again. He followed the discussion religiously.

Kacchan never brought it up. They'd been walking to and from school as if nothing had happened. But the change was apparent in the way his friends tagged along on the walk home. The day after the sports festival Ashido Mina had put her arm around Izuku and leaned into his space with a barrage of questions about Kacchan's childhood.

"He was a grumpy baby wasn't he! Tell me he was, I bet it was adorable!"

The group was nice enough. They even pulled him along to their lunch table once, though at their second invitation Izuku turned them down. He didn't want to sit at a table full of heros. It was making his classmates in the support department uncomfortable. They didn't need to say or do anything for him to _know_.

Plus Izuku couldn't help but wonder which of the group was Kacchan's first kiss. Was it Ashido?! If Kacchan had said his first kiss was with a girl Izuku would have been certain of it. But she seemed to have a thing for Kirishima. And maybe it was him! Was it a love triangle?

It didn't help that they hadn't so much as kissed since that night in the tent.

The more he worried about it the angrier Izuku felt. Not at Kacchan, but at himself. Because what was this? Pathetic hero worship for the guy who had dazzled them all with another explosive victory. In comparison Izuku's own performance had been… Mediocre. He'd barely scraped into the second round.

Hell, _mediocre_ was too generous a word for him.

But nobody even remembered what he'd actually done at the sports festival. Instead when they saw him all they thought about was **Kiss My Medal, Bitch!**

The video itself was recorded on someone's phone. Someone from the support department, it must have been. At first they had a terrible view of Kacchan up on the tallest podium, he was so far away he was blurry.

But once the medal was around his neck Kacchan leapt forward. It looked like he was coming straight for the camera, flying through the air with his arms and legs behind him, propelling him up into the stands with his explosions.

Then he disappeared overhead, the camera blurred as the student hurried to turn around, and before you could see anything you could hear Kacchan shouting: "Kiss it! Look at this thing, I told ya I'd get it the right way! Now give it a kiss!"

And the camera briefly came into focus on Izuku, sitting precariously on Kacchan's shoulders. But it was a struggle to keep them in view with the way Kacchan was jumping around.

"I said kiss my metal, bitch!"

Izuku's reply wasn't loud enough to be heard in the video, but he knew he'd said something like _put me down first!_

He was laughing. At the time it was a thrill, it was amazing. He hadn't realized they were being recorded. Later, seeing himself, he couldn't help but groan at the way he had _smiled._ It was too wide: he looked stupid with his teeth showing like that! Goofy, foolish, ugly.

Thankfully the phone got dropped or something. The camera veered away from them and then cut out. So they didn't catch the way Kacchan finally set him on his feet.

The way Izuku obliged his request.

But the entire support department did! And plenty of Kacchan's classmates too. They whooped and whistled. Someone shouted that _they_ should kiss and Kacchan smirked.

He leaned forward.

And Izuku had punched him in the neck.

oOo

Day twelve after the sports festival and Izuku was awake before his alarm went off. He lay in bed scrolling through the comment section for a full twenty minutes before throwing his phone away in disgust. Then he got dressed and hurried to school.

The walk alone was silent, but if he'd waited for Kacchan it would have been the same. When they were alone in the morning they had nothing to say.

Izuku had apologized for punching him in the throat. Kacchan had shrugged it off and, well, what more was there to do?!

He couldn't take it anymore and he couldn't go back to sleep. It's not like he meant to wake up early. Should he have texted?

By the time that option occurred to him he was halfway to the school. When he reached into his pocket he realized he'd left his phone at home. It was probably somewhere on the floor.

He almost turned around right then. There was plenty of time, after all, he'd make it back to his house before Kacchan was even awake.

But he didn't want to. So he kept going forward.

The gate was still locked when he got there. Standing alone outside, jogging in place, was Iida Tenya of the hero department.

"H-hello," Izuku said.

"Ah, a fellow early bird!" Iida said. "Good morning!"

"Good morning," Izuku said.

Iida was still jogging in place. He was wearing the gym uniform.

"Is something happening today?" Izuku said.

"No no, I always take a run around before school." Finally he stopped jogging.

He straightened his legs and bent forward to touch his toes. "I finish off in front of the gate," he said. "It's important to wind back down after a run. And they're about to open it."

"Oh, I see." Not knowing what else to do, Izuku grabbed one of the notebooks from his backpack. He just wanted something to hold in front of him, and his phone wasn't an option today, but once he had it in hand he thought he should take note of this.

It was good advice and even though he wasn't going to be a hero he should probably consider getting into some kind of an exercise routine. Even with the support equipment he'd been way too slow at the festival and part of the problem was simple lack of muscle mass wasn't it? If he-

"Excuse me," Iida said. "Do you always have to be so loud?"

"Wh-what?"

"You do the same thing in the library," Iida said. "Actually you're even louder! You and that girl, Hatsume Mei, you're quite disrupting. I wish the pair of you would keep your studies in the Development Studio."

"Ah! I'm very sorry." Izuku executed a deep bow, the full 90 degrees. "W-we've been trying to do that, but there are some books that we aren't allowed to take out of the library…"

There had been an incident with one of Hatsume's "babies" that had resulted in a book getting set on fire. It had been the only copy and now they couldn't take out books that didn't have a double.

It was lucky the librarian let them even take the doubles, at this rate.

"I suppose that isn't your fault," Iida said. "But please try to be respectful of your peers."

"Ah, yes!"

The school gate opened before Izuku could say much more. Iida headed to the locker rooms, probably to shower and change before classes, and Izuku headed for his homeroom.

He was the only student there, of course. But it wasn't so bad being alone. He settled in with his notebook and thought about the future.


	9. Change Your Mind

Izuku didn't mean to hide from Kacchan.

He was in the Development Studio with Hatsume during lunch. They'd just figured out how to mimic the way Hagakure Toru's skin cells naturally refracted light when Kacchan burst into the room. Izuku was holding their sample, a large swath of cloth twice his height- which he had draped around himself- and didn't even realize he was entirely invisible, at first.

"Where is he?" Kacchan said, glaring at Hatsume.

She grinned. "Invisible!"

He kicked a table. "Don't fuck with me! You know who I'm talking about right? De- Midoriya."

It was strange to hear his surname come out of Kacchan's mouth. But at this point it would be awkward to reveal himself...

She nodded. "Midoriya is a big fan of yours," she said. "He has lots of ideas for enhancing your quirk! Oh! And, hold on," she rummaged around for something, "I bet you'd be a resilient variable to test my babies on!"

He snorted. "My quirk doesn't need anymore enhancing." Kacchan glared at the gadget she'd pulled out. Izuku didn't recognize it. "You picking a fight with me?"

It was true that Kacchan had already done a great job with his costume design. But testing a few alternatives wouldn't hurt, would it? Back up equipment or just stuff for different environments…

"Sure! Want to fight?" Hatsume looked excited. "We can't fight here though."

"Fuck off," he said. "Tell Midoriya... I mean… Ugh."

Then he stomped out.

Hatsume looked disappointed, but she forgot all about it when she picked something else up. Goggles. "I found you, Midoriya!"

She grabbed the cloth- which Izuku had silently dubbed The Invisibility Cloak- and pulled it off him. "Thermal imaging is great, but I wanted to add…"

And she was off.

As if Kacchan had never interrupted. Izuku sighed and pulled out a notebook. It was all he could do to keep up with her sometimes.

Especially at times like this, when his mind wanted to wander to…

Well, wanted to wonder about Kacchan. Tell Midoriya what? What did he want to say?

But soon enough he was wrapped up in Hatsume's excitement. It was easy to bounce off of and before he knew it school was over.

And he didn't _mean_ to hide from Kacchan, but…

"You should test it outside!" Hatsume had said, about the Invisibility Cloak. "Before we make it into a suit we need to make sure the material is right. Does it refract natural light as well as it does the artificial? Does it still work while you walk or do you need to stay still? Is it easy to breath under? We need to know!"

So they wrapped him in it, holding the cloth in place with tape. It was thin enough that he could see through the material even with his face covered.

He walked home wearing it.

Izuku saw Kacchan standing by the school gate. He was with Kirishima and Sero. He looked like he was having a good time with them, so it wouldn't matter if Izuku kept walking would it? If he'd had his phone with him he could have texted Kacchan not to wait for him.

But he didn't have his phone.

It was rude to leave without Kacchan. Izuku knew that. But…

Well, he did it anyway.

oOo

He had five missed calls and three unread messages. All from Kacchan. Before he could read them Kacchan called again.

"H-hello?" Izuku said.

"Where the fuck are you?"

"At home."

"How did you…" The wind was loud in the background. "Why didn't you answer before?"

"Sorry, I left my phone at home today."

"Ugh, whatever," Kacchan said. "I'm coming over."

"You can't!" Izuku said. "My mom-"

"I'll come in through the window."

"What?!"

"Leave it open, you hear me? Or I'm breaking it!"

Then he hung up.

So Izuku opened it and sat at his desk, tense and waiting.

Then Kacchan flew in. In record time. He was sweaty and panting.

"Did you run here?!" Izuku whispered.

Kacchan grunted and sat on the floor against the bed.

"Why did you-"

"You sick of me?"

He straightened. "Wh-what?"

Elbows propped up against his knees, Kacchan leaned forward and glared at him. "Are. You. Sick of me."

"No!" Remembering his mother, Izuku glanced at the door. "No," he repeated. More softly.

"Then what the hell, Deku?"

"I was invisible," Izuku said.

Kacchan groaned. "You aren't invisible!"

Izuku blinked. "No I-"

"Look, I know I fucked up in middle school," Kacchan said.

"Th-that's not-"

"Let me say sorry!" Kacchan stood. He strode toward Izuku, who was still sitting at his desk with the chair turned around.

Now Kacchan was glancing at the door. He leaned into Izuku's face, gripping the desk chair's arm rests.

Effectively caging Izuku in. Why did he always have to do that?

"I should have said this a long time ago," Kacchan murmured. "I was a scumbag back then. We both know it."

"Wait-"

"I'm sorry, okay? It's true that… you being quirkless-"

"Shut up!" Izuku was trying to whisper, but at this point he didn't care if his mother interrupted.

In fact he was hoping she would.

"Deku-"

"I forgive you," Izuku said. "Don't say anymore. That's enough, I get it."

"I'm tryna say-"

"Just don't."

"Would you let me talk?"

"Nope." It was easy to lean forward and kiss Kacchan.

It was easy to put his arms around his neck. To wrap his legs around his torso. And Kacchan probably found it easy to carry him. To take him to the bed and lie down.

But then Kacchan's lips were far away and he put his hand over Izuku's mouth.

"It doesn't matter to me anymore, okay?" Kacchan said. "Just ignore everyone. They don't fucking matter."

Izuku bit his palm.

Kacchan pulled away "Shit-"

Izuku sat up. "Have you read the comments?!"

"Of course I read some of 'em-"

"Some of them," Izuku echoed. His voice cracked. "Just one or two and then you got bored, huh? Doesn't matter to you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kacchan looked baffled. "What are you crying-"

"I'm not crying!"

But it was a lie. Izuku could feel the tears pooling. Though he blinked them away.

"Hey, c'mon." Kacchan tried to hug him. Tried to pet him, tried to curl his fingers around the strands of Izuku's hair. But this time it didn't feel comforting.

It was a trap.

Izuku yanked his head away, wincing at the hair that was pulled.

"Deku-"

"I can't do this."

"What?" Kacchan grabbed his arm, but Izuku yanked it away. He crawled off the bed and stood up.

"I'm sorry," Izuku said. "But I can't do it. I can't walk to school with you. I can't eat lunch with you and your friends. I can't-"

"Why can't you, huh? Because of some stupid comments?"

"Yes! Some stupid comments!" Izuku didn't bother to keep his voice lowered anymore. "Guess I'm a stupid person!"

"Then when am I supposed to see you, huh?" Kacchan was standing now too. He was reaching. He wanted to put his hands on Izuku's shoulders.

But Izuku backed away and Kacchan lowered his hands.

"Deku?"

Izuku shook his head.

Kacchan glared at him. "Fine. I get it." He poked Izuku in the chest. "But you're going to change your mind."

"I don't-"

"You're going to change your mind," Kacchan repeated. "You think I'm going to wait around for that? Come and leave again every time you change your mind?"

"I'm not asking you to-"

"Would you be happy if I did that?"

"I would be," Izuku was crying in earnest now. Fat sloppy tears. "But I wanted to stand beside you. I wanted to catch up to you."

"You can't catch up to me," Kacchan sighed. "Look, let's just… what if we-"

"No," Izuku said. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

But Kacchan grabbed him. He kissed him.

Izuku punched him. "I said leave me alone!"

Cursing, Kacchan backed away.

"I need to be alone," Izuku said.

So without saying another word, Kacchan nodded.

Then he jumped out the window.

Izuku watched him propel himself into the air with his quirk. And he admired the power of it the same way he always had. The shining brilliance of the explosions.

Kacchan danced on fireworks above him.

Then Izuku returned to his desk and grabbed his notebook. He was determined now.

One day he would fly too.


End file.
